Pubdate: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 Source: Berkshire Eagle, The (Pittsfield, MA) Copyright: 2005 New England Newspapers, Inc. Contact: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/897 Author: Robin Mazzantini Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n463/a06.html?39937 DO THE CRIME, DO THE TIME To the Editor of THE EAGLE:- This letter is in regards to the story of March 16 about the district attorney being asked to revisit the school-zone charges of some of the 19 young people who were arrested in September of 2004. One of my questions would be: Who are the more than 400 people who signed this letter? Are they all relatives or close family friends? These so-called young people are not 3 and 4 years old. They should know right from wrong. After all, being a parent, we raise our kids (or do our best) to know the difference between the two. In this letter to the DA someone says, "Punishment should be made in proportion to the crime" and that "two years is too harsh a penalty for a teenager with no criminal background." I say wake up! It doesn't make any difference that only a small amount of marijuana was involved. A drug is a drug is a drug. It was wrong and they knew it, otherwise, why hide it? Just because these may be teens from prominent families should we cut them some slack? If these teens were black and in the west side of the city, would they get the same consideration? Let's look for a second at the young man who walked into a bank and said he had a bomb. He had no criminal record either. Should he have gotten away with it because it wasn't really a bomb? It is my opinion that these teens should be treated no differently. They broke the law and got caught. If the state law requires a minimum of two years in jail then so be it. I agree that some laws should be changed but isn't that why we elect officials to represent us and put these changes into motion? I don't think this decision should be left to our DA's office to decide. Let the courts and our laws be the deciding factor. ROBIN MAZZANTINI - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom